Carpet cleaning machine



May 19,' 1931. s. CHASE, 4TH., ET AL CARPET CLEANING- MACHINE Filed March 2, 1925 Patented May 19, 1931 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEPHEN CHASE, 4th, GEORGE H. PALM, AND RUDOLF S. PFEIFFER, OF CHICAGO, AN D* BENJAMIN S. PFEIFFER, 0F WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CHASEMACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

coRPoRATIoN or ILLINOIS CARPET CLEANING MACHINE Application filed March 2, 1925. Serial No. 12,516.

This invention relates to machines for the cleaning or renovating of fabrics such as carpets and rugs. It is of particular advantage in installations where the cleaning operations are carried on in an automatic fashion, incident to a continuous progressive feed of the material which is operated upon.

-One of the objects of the present invention isV the provision of an improved brushing or scrubbing apparatus which will be effective to apply cleansing treatment to interior portions `of heavy fabric, such as a high pile carpeting, with minimum destructive surface abrasion.

Another object is the'provision of a mechanism which will operate automatically to apply the desired scrubbing treatment to the intended surface of the fabric Without working the soap or other cleansing so-lution on to the `back surface of the fabric. This is of particular importance in the automatic cleaningof Vrugs of diiferent'sizes.

Another object is the provision of mechanism which will prevent wrinkling, shrinking and stretching of the `fabric during the scrubbing operation.

Another object is the provision of a mechanism which will subject all portions of the surfaceof the fabric to uniform scrubbing, and be highly effective at the edges, which portions are particularly likely to be dirty in rugs.

Another object is the provision of a mechanism which iseasily installed and operated and occupies but little space, so that it may be installed in a carpet cleaning machine either as a unit or as a series of units.

Another objectv is the provision of such a mechanism whichmay be kept in adjustment and repair easily, which permits adjustments for compensation for wear or different thicknesses of the fabric operated upon, which is largely self-cleaning and self lubricating and which'may be operated at varying speeds.

Another object is the provision of a mechanism which will be economical in consumption of soap or other cleansing material7 even though continued inroperation when no material is being operated upon.l This is of particular importance where a succession of rugs is to be cleaned.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter, indicated in the appended claims, or obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the instant disclosure.

F or the purpose of this application We have elected to portray an embodiment of the invention by means of diagrammatic illustration in the drawingl forming a part of this specification. It is to be understood, however, that the actual constructions therein shown are to be considered as simply illustrative, as our invention, once its principle is understood, may be embodied in a great variety of fashions by one expert in the art.

In said drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic sectional elevation of mechanism illustrative of the nature of our invention, said section being a longitudinal one, taken parallel to the line of travel of the article being operated on.

Fig. 2 is intended to represent a partial transverse sectional elevation, taken at the side of the machine; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in the nature of a part plan View of the end portion of the scrubbing mechanism.

It will be understood that the parts of the mechanism illustrated in these figures are designed to be incorporated in a machine which is equipped to transmit a sheet of fabric in the nature of a piece of carpet, a rug or the like, progressively with the surface which is to be subjected to the scrubbing operation presented downwardly. Such a means is here diagrammatically illustrated by the chain A which is moved longitudinally on a track a and which carries a clamp B which is a stift1 member that extends across the machine and engages the sheet of fabric C along its forward margin so as to convey it through the machine in an outspread condition.

Such machine comprises a suitable frame including a portion, designated by the reference character l0, which forms a support for a guide member l1, whichv is vertically adjustable, as by means of screws 12. This guide member is formed with upwardly eX- .tending guide flanges 14between'which are disposed brush bars 15 arranged collaterally for reciprocationlongitudinally.on the guide l member'. Uponithe brush barsv 15 karemounted the brushes V16,v same preferably being formed in sections :which areademountably1V fastenedV to thebars 15 as by meansof theI Abolts 17. It willbeunderstood'that-the guidemember 11 andthe bars 15 .are arranged/to Y extend transversely of the direction of feed of the fabric. A support for the-fabricdur;`

ing its movement to the brushes is afforded by a series of wires lwvhieh extend'flon'gii tudinally of the machine in thedirection in whichthe fabric istransmitted, which wires terminate adjacentlthe brushes' in such', relationship' thai n sheetlof' fabric movingfrom them has v'its "lower 'surface Vpresented inV contact with the bristlesv of the brushes. Over 1 the wires and brushes lies a smooth retaining plate 19 properly supported'onthemachine frameiiirsuch fashion as to retain the sheet' o'f'fabricl upon them. The endsofv the bars" 15 project. laterally as: illustrated in Figs, 2and3, andthe 'ends of the 'alternate bars are' .connected by yoke members V20.

These yoke'fmembers have operative connec- `tio-n with an actuating means lsuch as the cam 21,7wherebyA reciprocating motion is trans- `mitted to Vthe bars in such'fashion that the coincident reciprocating ymovemn'ents of juxtaposed bars arein opposite directions. i lin such si; the sheet of fabric lincident to its progresfashion the brushes are transmitted `across sive movement-so that its under surface is subjectedto Ythe scrubbing action of t-hebristles. Ahead of the'y brush unit there is support- 4b' eilen the V'mach'inelframe .the ,"s'oap'ingV roller 21, which is supjiiliedl with igelatinous e soap solutiomor. other cleaning'fmaterial, from a trough. 22.. -fllhisroller lis disposed,y with .its

periphery tangent to th'esheetoffabnic supported-enthe fwiresjlSand isV rotated @by suitable Y ymech anism ,t'o piclr upmaterijal from theft-rough 22 and apply it tothe undersurface ofi the fabric incidenttotheprogressive mov-ementofthe latter. over-the roller. Bach Y ofthebrushsunit is supported asuit-able'wip-y ing orsqueegee deviceQl arranged toowipe or;squeezematerial-` fnom the, under surface v v ,ofthe sheet of; fabric incident to itsprogressivemovement.thereoverv v ."5 Incperat-ion ofthe apparatus, the-sheet of I fabric is drawn'fby the conveyor chains and Y clamp .progressively through the; machinev in the direction indicated` by the arrow inl Fig. Y

1*, .with lthe surf-ace tobe? subjected -t'othe 'scrubbing operationy presentedY downwardly, being; held inra flat out-.spread'condition by thefclamp `andlthe'retainingplate 19. Asthe fabriczmovespver the soapingfroller 21 it re- 'ceivesl a uniform application of'cleaningl 'ma'.-

terial whichgiitv carries f with 'fit' 'as` it moves ing: operations. Y Y practical advantage-because-'it doesnot waste 'cleaning material andmay; be operated con.-

on to position over the brushes. The reciprocating actionv of the latter works the cleaning materialint-o the fabric and subjects it to a thorough scrubbing? action effective to loosen the dirt and cause it-to betaken'v up by the cleaning material. With thel brushes disposedin .close collateral. associationand the juxtaposed brushesmoving in opposite directions, thek fabric is held'iatbetweenl'themand the retainingplate 19,'so`thatit Ywillfnot be wrinkled or stretched by the-ri'ibbihg action ofrthe brushes, This is of particular advantage at the margins of the fabric, as there is itiials'o' held-:flatrafgainst Vthe retaining plate and the cleaning material prevented from working-backonlto itsfu'ppersurface'.`V It will be seen that each port-ion of the `-'fabric is: subjected -to the ,action offeachfof thebrushes in turn softhatl all portions of its surface-are thoroughly scrubbed. Passing from the brushes the' fabric moves int-o"v contact' with the wiping'deviceQ/ which cooperates'with the retainingplate 19 to squeeze outfand wipe olii' the cleaning material, which carries away w-ithitjtlie'-.;V dirt which it has picked up during the' scrubbing operation.. In 'the use of gelatinous soap solution,such;as is quiteg-enerally employedin the cleaning of carpeting, this apparatus is of particular advantage'in that. it works the solution thoroughly into the-heavy pile surfaceof the fabricvwithout frothing it up intoalight .lather 'and throwingitgabout onto other portions of therapparatus. 'While wet, the soap solution'fcrms an effectivelubrlicant forthe reciprocating-bars,

andy any excess; which linds itsl .way into their seats is drained laway through channels -11a providedA in ythe guidemember.Y By adjustment "of thejscrews l2 thewheight ofthe brushes may 'bei varied tocompensate for the wearing down of their bristlesand to accommodate them 'to fabrics yof).different..thicknesses. x Another advantages gainedby the transversely reciprocating Nbrush'vk arrangement, accrues from they fact that-:in .practically allfhigh pile rugsI and carpets lthe-weft ofthe fabric runs'transversely. Conse uently the transverse movement ofthebnus 'es is ,effective in Yobtaining a deep penetration of the cleaning material betweenv the weft yarns andthe extraction of the dirt-from those places,"where ithas thegreatestaccumulation. A scrubbing'action longitudinally ofthe fabric is at the same time obtainedZ byitsrprogressivefV movement .ing jcontact with .the brushes.'Y i

'It will be Y understood* that while lwe have illustrated and described onlyl a single unit', that'aI plurality of the same* may be incorporated Vin the machine, sojthat the fabric in the cours'exo'f its passagethr'ough the latter, is subjected' to-a series ofi scrubbing: andwip- The apparatus'is of great tinuously to scrub a succession of rugs and the like and because it may be assembled in a relatively small floor area.

We claim:

1. In a fabric cleaning machine, in combination, a retaining plate for a sheet of fabric, means for moving fabric progressively 0n said plate, brushes arranged collaterally below the plate for contact with fabric thereon, means for reciproacting juxtaposed brushes simultaneously in opposite directions and means for adjusting the brushes toward and from the plate.

2. In a fabric cleaning machine, in combination, a conveyor operable to move a fabric progressively in out-spread condition, brushes disposed collaterally below the conveyor for operation on the fabric and means for simultaneously reciprocating juxtaposed brushes in parallel opposite directions transversely of the direction of movement of the conveyor.

3. In a fabric cleaning machine, in combination, means for moving the fabric progressively, collaterally arranged brushes extending transversely below the path of the fabric, means for simultaneously reciprocating juxtaposed brushes in parallel opposite directions, means ahead of the brushes for applying cleaning material to the fabric and means behind the brushes for removing cleaning material from the fabric.

In testimony Where We have hereunto subscribed our names.

STEPHEN CHASE, IV. GEORGE H. PALM. RUDOLF S. PFEIFFER. BENJAMIN S. PFEIFFER. 

